Alloys are being used in a great number of different environments. For example, the aerospace, shipbuilding and railway industries are all beginning to utilize various alloys for a variety of different purposes. Examples include large fuel tanks and other containers for space launch vehicles, cargo decks for high-speed ferries, and roofs for railway carriages.
There are a variety of methods for increasing the strength of metallic alloys. Some of the most common methods include cold working, precipitation hardening and quench and tempering. All of these methods utilize a process wherein the metal lattice is altered such that the movement of dislocations is limited. In the case of cold working, the metal is deformed such that many dislocation intersect and lock themselves together. In the case of precipitation, hardening small precipitates are produced in the metal lattice that pin and restrict the movement of dislocations. The same holds true for quenched and tempered alloys.
All of these systems work well but are limited in that they generally only alter the strength of the material and require alloy systems (two or more constituents) where the various elements are compatible and soluble in the matrix metal. These methods have not been effective in altering the physical properties of metallic alloys.
Current research in the area of nanotechnology is showing that physical and mechanical properties of metals may be altered through the addition of micro and nano particles to the metal. The benefits of these discoveries is that the micro and nano particles do not have to be soluble or chemically compatible with the matrix system. The problem arises in how to mix the micro and nano particles into the metal matrix so they perform their required function.
Accordingly, what is needed is a method of forming specialized alloys that permits the characteristics of the alloys to be altered. Also what is needed is a method of forming specialized alloys that improves one or more mechanical properties without the negatives associated with prior art techniques.